TAYLOR GUITARS

GT 811E AND GT K21E

Taylor Guitars' popular new body shape, the GT (Grand Theater), combines inviting playability of a compact instrument with the rich voice of a full-size, solid-wood guitar. Two new premium-edition models — the rosewood and spruce GT 811e — join Taylor’s flagship 800 Series, and the all-koa GT K21e, a new voice within the Koa Series, rounds out the brand-new GT lineup, joining the original GT Urban Ash model (see the review on page 76). The GT models sit between the size of Taylor’s compact GS Mini and its Grand Concert, the smallest of Taylor’s full-size body shapes. The guitars feature a 24-1/8-inch scale length, making them fun and easy to play. All GT models are voiced with Taylor’s new C-Class bracing architecture, a derivative of the company’s V-Class bracing, and are adapted in a way that accentuates the low end to give the small body a surprisingly warm and powerful bass response. Street Prices: GT 811e, $2,999; GT K21e, $4,699 taylorguitars.com